U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced that its Harlingen Field Office, in collaboration with federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, conducted a record-setting single-day operation on June 18 in Texas' Rio Grande Valley, resulting in 238 arrests. This operation represents the largest number of targeted arrests completed in one day by the Harlingen field office, according to the agency.
"The ICE mission continues to focus on enhancing public safety and restoring integrity to our nation’s immigration system. We will stop at nothing to keep our American communities safe by removing one criminal illegal alien at a time." — Juan Agudelo, Director, ICE Harlingen Field Office
The enforcement action, carried out by ICE's Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) division, specifically targeted individuals with prior criminal convictions and those lacking legal status to remain in the United States. ICE stated that the primary objective was to enhance public safety by identifying, apprehending, and removing individuals deemed a risk to communities.
Among the 238 individuals arrested were those with convictions for a range of serious offenses. These crimes included attempted kidnapping, sexual battery, drug possession, assault, weapons offenses, theft, driving under the influence, and multiple instances of illegal reentry into the United States after prior deportation. The agency highlighted several specific cases to illustrate the scope of the operation.
Manuel Morales-Geronimo, a Mexican national, was identified by ICE as one of the individuals arrested. Morales-Geronimo, an alleged Paisas gang member, has a criminal record that includes convictions for assault causing bodily injury, possession of controlled substances, driving while intoxicated, and multiple illegal reentry offenses. Another individual, Jose Alfredo Castillo-Mendoza, also a Mexican national, was arrested with convictions for attempted kidnapping, sexual battery, and illegal reentry. Other arrests involved individuals with convictions related to drug trafficking, unlawful weapons possession, hit-and-run incidents, and repeated illegal entries. Some of those apprehended could face additional federal charges for illegally reentering the United States.
Juan Agudelo, Director of the ICE Harlingen Field Office, emphasized the agency's ongoing commitment to its mission. "The ICE mission continues to focus on enhancing public safety and restoring integrity to our nation’s immigration system," Agudelo stated. "We will stop at nothing to keep our American communities safe by removing one criminal illegal alien at a time."
This record-setting operation aligns with broader immigration enforcement efforts under President Donald Trump’s administration, which has consistently emphasized the removal of individuals with criminal records and those without legal authority to reside in the country. ICE officials reiterated that enforcement operations are conducted nationwide, targeting individuals who pose public safety concerns. The agency also encourages the public to report suspicious activities or crimes through its official tip line or online reporting system.
The announcement of these arrests comes at a time of increased scrutiny on immigration enforcement, particularly following a fatal ICE-related shooting incident in Houston. Texas Governor Greg Abbott (R) directed the Texas Rangers to launch an investigation into the shooting, while Houston Mayor John Whitmire (D) called for a temporary pause on certain ICE enforcement actions, advocating for additional law enforcement training. A congressional field hearing was also reportedly scheduled to address the concerns raised by the Houston incident.
In addition to the recent arrests, ICE also reported the removal of several convicted criminals from the United States last month. These deportations included individuals convicted of severe offenses such as sex crimes, drug trafficking, and murder. One Liberian national was deported following convictions for multiple sexual offenses and impaired driving. Another Liberian national was removed after convictions for aggravated sexual battery and child sex crimes. ICE further reported the removal of a Brazilian national convicted of bestiality and charged with driving while intoxicated, a Colombian national convicted of drug trafficking, and a Mexican national convicted of second-degree murder and home invasion robbery. Notably, the Mexican national had reportedly been deported three times prior to this most recent removal.
